Freedom Within Reach
by Harta
Summary: What might have  or truly  happened on the day the Celestial Dragons shot Sabo down. With the help of a certain mysterious cloaked man, Sabo survives and continues to live.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Had the urge to write this after rereading Sabo, Ace, and Luffy's past for what must have been the third time. I think it's my second favorite One Piece arc after Water 7/Enies Lobby. Made me cry…made me laugh...Oda is such a friggin genius.

And yes, I do think Sabo's alive. More explanation will be found at the end of this fanfiction.

You can love, you can hate. Up to you!

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

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><p><strong>Freedom Within Reach<strong>

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><p>"Hey, hey, who sent a boat out there?"<p>

"Heeey! Come back here! You're gonna ruin the ceremony!"

"Is that a fishing ship? There's a kid riding on it!"

"A kid?"

"Just which family is _he_ from?"

He was oblivious to all of the yells and shouting.

His pirate flag, stuck proud and tall on the mast of his small ship, flapped strongly in the wind. The waves were not rough; in his eyes they were just perfect along with the stretch of blue skies above him. It was not a cloudless day, but as they hung in the air, it blocked out some of the sun so the rays were not in his eyes.

A big smile went onto Sabo's face. "What a nice weather!" he exclaimed as he stood by the helm of his boat. A hand went up to the ridge of his trademark hat, and he clutched it. "Today," he continued, "is the perfect day to set sail!"

He wore his regular attire, the one he had worn during his days in Gray Terminal and the one he had worn while he was with his brothers, Ace and Luffy. It was his uniform. His uniform of freedom. And today, his uniform as a pirate. There was no way he was going to wear those snob clothing of a Noble.

Sabo had on his large jacket which had always been a few sizes too large for him. He knew that once he grew up, it would fit perfectly. Along with the proud flag he had made just the night before, his ragged pants and cravat around his neck flapped against the wind.

He was going to really do this.

_Ace..._ Sabo thought. _Luffy...What do you guys think? I'm setting off right now. _

He closed his eyes, imagining their expressions and reactions when they received his letter that he had written. He had been in his room...supposed to be studying...But instead of doing that...

"I can't wait to see you guys again," Sabo said as he opened his eyes. "Just you wait, both of you…I'll be so strong you'll both be surprised!"

"Hey, hold on! He stole my fishing boat!"

"Where does he think he's going?"

"He's raised a black flag! He thinks he's become a pirate or something!"

"Preposterous! A lone child becoming a pirate?"

It was then that Sabo realized all of the shouting was directed towards him. He turned his head to face them. A large crowd of citizens were gathered at the dock of the city, waving their arms frantically and cupping their hands around their mouths whilst yelling in his direction. Yes it was true that he had stolen the fishing boat. Sabo had wanted to use the money that he and his two brothers had been collecting for all those years, but in the end he could not.

The complaints of the citizens continued.

"The World Government ship will be here soon!"

"At any rate he's going to ruin the ceremony!"

"HEEEY!"

"YOU! GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!"

The smile did not falter off Sabo's face. Nothing would cause him to falter. "The thing I'm most scared of...is getting swallowed up in this country," he said, "and becoming a completely different human being! I'm not turning around!"

It did not bother him if they could hear him or not. It was directed mostly to him, to himself.

Though he could have sworn that he saw a familiar face in the crowd...Not familiar as in the Nobles that he sees while locked up in his father's house...but familiar as in a _friend_...

But he could not ponder about it any longer, for there was a large rippling of waves coming from behind him, causing the water around Sabo to shake along with it. He found out what was the cause even before he turned back around.

Somebody yelled, _"THE GOVERNMENT SHIP IS HEEEEEERE!"_

The thing was massive.

It easily towered over his small fishing boat by millions its size. The World Government symbol was etched largely on the canvas of the humongous ship. It was so huge and tall that Sabo had to lean back and tilt his head up almost all the way to see it all, and he was still rather far away from it.

"What a huge ship..." Sabo mused in awe, now gripping onto his hat. The waves were causing his little ship to rock back and forth, so he made sure that it would not fall off. "It looks like I might get swallowed up in its currents."

He then reached over to the small steering mechanism of the ship with the intent of moving away to a safe distance. He had no idea that two men, boarded on the large Government ship, were talking to each other about his presence. He had no idea about the large gun that one of them held.

By now, he could no longer hear the screams of the citizens at the dock.

"If I could become the captain of a ship like that, it would be awesome," Sabo pondered joyfully as his own small ship moved away from the monstrous one. He could imagine himself as captain with Ace and Luffy behind him...Their ship would be large...even larger than the ship that now towered over him...And with that ship they would sail the seas...fighting proudly to gain their name...stealing treasure to prove to the world that they were notorious pirates...becoming more and more infamous by the day...And—

**_BANG._**

What might have been an exploding cannon ball suddenly smashed into the side of his small fishing boat, causing him to be blown off his feet. He let out a scream as he was thrown in the air. When he opened his eyes he saw red. The red was not due only to the fact that he had hit his head and landed painfully, but because now large flames were licking and spreading throughout the deck of his ship, engulfing everything in its path.

"Damn it..." Sabo groaned as he climbed to his feet. He had no time to see and search for the exact person who had shot him. He knew that it was one of the bastards on the Government ship. The only thing that went in his mind was that he had to get rid of that fire—and fast.

He tore off his coat and ran towards the growing flames. "Damn it!" he yelled, this time louder as he smacked his coat over and over the fire. His panting grew. "The ship's on fire! Why would they fire all of a sudden—"

By now all sounds had disappeared, replaced with the roaring flame in his ears. Sabo could feel the sweat sliding down his face and body. The fire was growing and surrounding him…

Then it happened.

It was as if the world had been switched to slow motion mode. Over the fire, he heard the sound of a cannon ball being shot away from its muzzle..He turned towards the sound...and there it was. He saw with his bloodshot eyes the small, dark ball filled with gun powder that was heading mercilessly towards him.

His body froze. He could not move.

Then—

**_BOOM._**

The world was blown apart.

The last thing Sabo saw before being engulfed by the darkness was his hat and pirate flag, torn due to the explosion, falling through the air.

He himself was falling. He knew that he had been thrown into the water, tucked in the folds of the sea... But his skin continued to burn and he could not help but let out screams of agony that caused salty and metallic liquid to fill his mouth. He didn't know what was more painful: to close or open his eyes.

Sabo's vision was becoming darker and blurrier by the second. He knew that he was not going to last any longer.

He was a kid that was going to die in the way pirates feared most: drowning in the sea, with his pride torn apart and not making even a single mark on the world.

And worst, he was dying in the way that he_ himself_ thought of to be the worst: to leave the world without gaining his freedom.

_No._

That one thought was faint, but it made way into his mind.

_No. I can't die here._

Slowly and painfully, Sabo raised his arm. He threw one hand in front of him and clawed at the water. He drew back his hand and shot out the other. He realized how red and disoriented his limbs were. Although they felt as if they weren't there, he forced himself to kick out his legs. He had to get out of this watery hell.

Sabo felt as if he making agonizingly slow progress. The horrible thought that he was not going up but actually going _down_ had dawned on him many times, causing him to panic. There was nothing to indicate that he was getting any closer to the surface. His lungs screamed for air. The salty water was making him sick. He bent over and threw up.

He tore away through the tainted, dirty water and continued to swim. There was a light above.

Ignoring his fear that the light was not the sun but a sign that he was on his way to the afterlife, Sabo continued to make his way up.

At this moment, he was completely out of breath. He opened his mouth and let out the bubbles, giving himself a couple more seconds. Every second mattered.

Then his fingertips felt the air, quickly followed by his body.

Sabo broke through the surface of the sea and he gasped madly for breath. His ears felt like they had popped; he could not hear a thing.

But he made it...He made it. _Made it, made it, made it, MADE IT._

He nearly _screamed_ a thanks to God when a slab of wood—possibly debris from his ship—floated by. It was wide enough for him to hop on and keep him up the water. He threw his arms over the wood and hung on tightly. He could not gather the energy to climb on top of it.

After coughing and gasping for seconds, Sabo observed his surroundings. The large World Government ship seemed so far away...It was getting ready to dock. The citizens were screeching with joy at the honor of meeting the important people aboard. Around Sabo were bits and pieces of wood and other debris. There was no sign of his ship. They had probably shot it a few more times to completely get rid of it...

His arms felt limp. Now that he could take a good look at them, he wished that he could not. They looked like slabs of raw meat along with his legs and body. His clothes were torn apart and he saw by the reflection in the water that he was missing nearly all of his teeth. His hair was nearly completely singed off his head. His face...it was so horrible that Sabo quickly looked away. He was beginning to plan out what he was to do next when he heard voices. It was hard to make them out due to his injured ears, but he managed to through the gargle.

"Hey, hurry up! We're late!"

"I know! The excitement of meeting a Celestial Dragon caused me to not be able to think straight!"

"Me too! But look, they're here already! Oh dear, I wonder what they thought of this disgusting little pirate ship."

"Well, they blew it up. "

Sabo shut his eyes and played dead. The voices were close...too close. He hadn't collected enough energy to paddle his way to shore yet. If they saw that he was still alive...and realized who he was...and showed him to his father... He did not want to think what would happen. What would happen to Ace and Luffy if they were pulled into trouble because of his own clumsiness? He couldn't have that.

"Oh dear," one of the voices said. Sabo realized how close they were now. They were about an arms length from him. "This child is..."

"Oh my goodness. What will we tell the father? He is a Noble!"

"This is the child that once fought with _my_ child! I knew he was rotten from the start!"

"Oh my..."

"Well, get him and all this rubble out of the way! We are making a fool of ourselves in front of the World Government!"

He felt himself being lifted into the air. Sabo tried his best not to groan or hiss in pain as he was rolled over onto what must have been the floor of a boat along with the other bits of debris. There was a scream.

"His filthy blood went on my dress!"

"We will clean it up later! Moreover, is he still alive?"

"I don't care! He proved himself as utter filth! Leave him be!"

"We must check first."

"_You _check. I am not going to get any dirtier than I am now. There, we can dump him there!"

Sabo carried on his lifeless act until suddenly he was thrown through the air again. He landed on the ground and grunted. He was followed by the clumps of wood tossed by the Nobles who were sent to clean up the destroyed ship's rubble. Fortunately, the debris missed him.

He waited for the voices to die away. Finally he opened his eyes.

He truly was on the outskirts of town. He was out the walls, as he could see. The Gray Terminal was on the other side...He had no strength to drag himself all the way there.

He was wrong. He had no strength to even stay conscious. The world was fading faster than he could have caught on. All noise he heard turned into a gargle.

Then everything went black.

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><p><strong><em>X<em>**

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><p><strong>AN:** At first I intended to make this a one-shot. But I soon found out that Sabo was just_ too _much fun to write and I got into it like a mad man, so it stretched on longer than I thought. And since loading errors tend to occur when I try to load long fanfics, I decided to divide this story into three parts.


	2. Chapter 2

**[EDIT: Went and fixed up some things. Thanks for all the reviews, guys! I really appreciate it!]**

"_Night has fallen quicker than I would have liked…And the moon is half full…"_

Sabo woke up to the sound of a man talking. He groaned—every inch of his body ached— and slowly opened his eyes.

What he saw first was a hood. Then a soft wind picked up and blew the hood back, revealing a face. Sabo jolted when he recognized the man from the night of the Gray Terminal burning. The large tattoo seemed to be swallowing half of the man's features and Sabo had the nagging feeling that the man looked familiar to someone…But whom? Not only that, but Sabo had thought the same thing before when they had first met…

"So you are awake, boy."

Sabo was so surprised when the man spoke that he nearly scrambled off what was keeping his aloft. He realized that the man was carrying him in his arms.

"Ye…Yeah…" Sabo stuttered, and was disturbed by how unclear and seemingly slurred his voice was. He wondered why. "Mister…We…We've met before…"

The man was walking at a brisk pace, Sabo noticed, as the scenery he saw beneath the moon and stars were constantly changing. The saw the tops of trees…the roof of a house…more trees…

It took all of Sabo's willpower not to fall asleep again._ "Ace…" _he mumbled, eyes beginning to loll over. _"Luffy…"_

Something in the man's features changed. Sabo attempted to pin it down but couldn't. Not only was his vision blurring from time to time, but the man seemed to be holding something back…As if one or both of the names he had just called carried an impact on the man.

Then the man spoke again.

"Do you remember what happened to you?"

Sabo flinched. His arm stung. He looked down and his eyes widened as he saw his fingers clench around something. It was a piece of torn black cloth. No…he examined closer with the moon aiding him. It was a pirate flag with the letter "S" lying on top of a pair of crossbones._ His_ symbol. _His_ pirate flag.

"I remember," Sabo said, eyes shadowed as his fingers clutched the flag tighter. "Today was my sailing day. I was going to set sail…But then the Government ship came…Someone on board fired a cannon at me. I jumped off in time…nearly drowned…" He was more talking to himself, reliving and recollecting the chain of events that had taken place just a few hours ago. His attention was not focused on the man who held him, who seemed to be rather interested in the story. "…I…" continued Sabo, "made it back on shore. I then passed out. And then…"

That was all he could remember. What happened afterwards, he had no idea. He looked up at the man.

"Did you," Sabo asked, "save me?"

"We will discuss this later," the man interjected. "I have done my best to clean and close your wounds. But it is not enough to last you a whole night. We are on the way to my ship, where a clever doctor awaits."

Finally, Sabo asked the question that he had been dying to ask ever since he woke up.

"Who are you?"

And to the boy's surprise, a smile slowly crept its way onto the man's features. A rough wind blew and pushed back the hood that had been partially hiding his face, revealing a mane of dark hair. The moonlight shone upon the man, and Sabo had a sudden feeling of respect and curiosity towards him.

"My name is Monkey D. Dragon."

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><p>During the stretch of time it took for them to reach the little village where Dragon's ship was docked, Sabo discovered a few things. During the few seconds and even minutes when he could keep his consciousness stable, he realized that clutching in his other hand was his hat. It was badly beaten and torn all over. Yet it was still wearable and the goggles that lay wrapped upon the brim were only mildly scratched.<p>

Sabo also realized the presence of his teeth. He had hinted it while in the water, but he had no idea that so much was missing. So it was not only his one tooth, but followed by many that there were almost all gone. His hair seemed to have left him too, for there he could feel scalp directly from beneath his fingertips, though he could still feel a few strands of his messy blonde hair along with it. He also realized that he was wearing the same beaten up clothes he wore when the Government shot him down.

His throat was dry but not parched. He realized that he if was truly thirsty, he would of noticed it earlier. But he didn't which led him to the conclusion that the man had poured water into his mouth while he was unconscious. This made Sabo—if more— feel more in debt to the man.

The man…His name was the same as Luffy's and his grandfather's, Monkey D. Garp. What connection could they have? He knew that he had to keep his eyes and ears open for more information.

They were now passing a little village. Although it was late at night, Sabo noticed that there were many young children about. They were carrying wooden swords and letting out yells of battle. Some fought with each other and some practiced on cushioned poles that could be found every few feet near a wide, one-floor building. Sabo realized that it was a dojo. And these kids were probably the students. As Dragon carried him off, he wondered where the teacher could be.

Sabo saw a student that caught his attention. At first from faraway, he thought that it was a boy until the student let out a cry to charge. He realized it was a girl—fierce and proud, in his opinion—as she laid another slash on one of the poles. She had short hair cut like a boy's that appeared black in the darkness.

_She's gonna go far,_ thought Sabo. _She's a strong one…_

They then passed another child that was roughly around Sabo's age, give or take a year. He had short spiky hair and appeared to be lifting a monstrous rock that had to be at least a few hundred kilograms and three times his size—or more. His face was pulled together in concentration and concealed strain.

Sabo smiled. _He's also gonna go far. Respects to you, kid._

As they passed the spiky haired boy, Sabo could hear him grunt_, "567…568…569…"_

Then on the sea, Sabo saw the ship. Words could not describe how awed he was by it. Different from the way he gaped at the World Government ship, this time was because…this was a_ true_ pirate ship.

It was large with the figurehead of a dragon's. At the back was a tail carved out of wood. The deck appeared to be large and wide, and three tall masts towered over it with the sails furled. The ship gave out a certain aura. He was intimidated by it, he knew. He was just plain amazed. It was the same feeling that dawned on him when Dragon smiled and told his name. Sabo pondered on who might be the captain of such a great and splendid ship and what type of crew might be aboard. They had dropped anchor, which signed that they had docked. And Dragon was headed towards it…

Could it be that this man that saved his life be a part of the ship?

There were kids gathering at the fences that separated the dojo from the sea. Sabo could not hear them at the distance he was from them but he could vaguely make out their hyper discussion. They were talking about a man…with a large face? Did he hear correctly?

They were greeted by frantic cries coming from the ship just as they reached it.

"You're late, Dragon! How long are you gonna keep us waiting for!"

It was no doubt a member of the crew.

At this moment, Sabo let out a moan. As much as he wanted to see more of the ship and its crew, he was starting to slip.

Dragon's voice was ever so calm as he replied. "Sorry."

Then there was a collective gasp of realization.

"Hey! Hurry up with the first aid!"

"These are horrible!"

Scuffling of feet could be heard from the ship. Sabo's eyes fluttered and closed. He was lifted higher into the air and the next moment, he was laid down gently on the floor.

"Out of the way! Give the kid some air!"

Sabo attempted to open his eyes, though it drained most of his strength. He was surrounded by people on nearly all sides, their faces battle worn and strong. He saw a man, wearing a hat with a cross etched on it, rushing towards him. A doctor.

Sabo felt soft leather underneath him where he lay on the deck of the ship. He grunted, rolling his head to one side. The stars he saw above him seemed to have multiplied.

"Shh, calm down, kid." The doctor reached him and put a hand on Sabo's chest. "My, my…what a fight you must have been in…" The doctor ran his hand through Sabo's limbs, examining him. "A few broken bones. Cuts all over. Deep wounds. But nothing I can't fix…Though you'll have to stay in bed and rest for a few weeks…possibly months…It'll take over a year to fully heal, possibly…"

"Geez, doc…Be a little more optimistic, will ya?" somebody yelled from behind them.

"Well, I have to tell the truth on what I am examining!" the doctor replied.

"For the sake of the kid!" the other man yelled back. "He'll be terrified!"

"No need!" Sabo rasped. There was gasps and frantic muttering coming from the crowd when he spoke, and Sabo did his best to keep his voice steady. "I need to know what I'll be going through…I'm no weakling…I vowed that I was to set out to sea to become a proud pirate and find freedom! To grasp onto it…To…" He stopped as he buckled over and coughed out blood.

"Enough, we understand…!" the doctor told him, putting his hands on Sabo's arms to hold him down. "Now just, stay still—!"

"I won't lose to this!" Sabo screamed, continuing and shushing the doctor's cries. "Not after being shot by what could have been…a Celestial Dragon…"

There was vast murmuring from the crowd now at the mention of the World Nobles. Then they all seemed to have fallen silent to listen to him speak. Dragon stood among them, his eyes on the boy fighting for his life.

"If I can't make it through this…it'll mean that they have yet again taken my freedom! If I can't make it through this…how will I protect my brothers? If I can't make it through this…how will I be able to face the world?"

Sabo could fear hot tears gathering at the corner of his eyes. His hands clenched into tight fists. His fading energy would not stop him. Nothing would. **"IF I CAN'T MAKE IT THROUGH THIS…"** he cried, **"HOW WILL I BECOME STRONG?"**

The silence of the night fell onto the ship, and Sabo's last cry echoed out into the skies. His fingers went slack. The world was fading from his eyes.

"We understand kid," the doctor said softly as he noticed Sabo losing hold of his consciousness. "We all understand."

Sabo could see Dragon's cloaked figure through his blurred vision, though he could not see his face. He could not see the man's expression. But the man had not taken his eyes off him in the least, and Sabo felt a burst of pride coming from somewhere deep inside him.

"Now…let's tend to your wounds…" the doctor continued, "…and then you can show the world. Show them who you are."

Sabo nodded, though it was more of a sharp jerk. Then a smile crawled its way onto his face. "I will…"

He then saw Dragon turning his back on them and walking away. Sabo tried to lift his head to see where he was going but the doctor held him back. Dragon stood off from the crowd and the crew all turned to look at him—at the man they all followed and respected.

There was silence as Dragon stared off into the seas, his cloak billowing in the wind.

At last, the great leader of the Revolutionary Army spoke.

"How are the rations?"

More silence followed. Some people blinked. Then one person answered, "We received some from the dojo."

"Let's set off," said Dragon, his voice loud and heard clearly over the wind. "We're going back to Baltigo!"

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><p><strong><em>x<em>**

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><p><strong>AN:** I believe this is what happened on page 7 of chapter 589. Who else could it have been that was injured and taken aboard the ship? About Sabo's speech while being treated...I hope something along those lines happened too. It would be totally le-epic.

Though I'm pretty sure the spiky haired kid lifting the big ass rock was Zoro. And the girl Kuina.

Next chapter will be about Sabo, ten years in the future.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** NANLIT went and shared some thoughts and opinions for what happened to Sabo after being saved by Dragon… And they were very creative too! So I went and changed some of my own thoughts as well that I just had to make one or two changes here and there in this story! Thanks for that! ^^

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><p><em>Ten Years Later<em>

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><p>Sabo looked up at the vast, blue sky. The same sky he had looked upon when he first set out to sea. The same sky that he and his two brothers had looked at as they spent days lying on the grass, dreaming.<p>

It felt as if someone was calling out to him.

"Yes, Luffy…" he found the words falling from his lips. He stood on the edge of the small cliff of Baltigo, facing the sea. "I'm looking at you. I'll wait for the day I lose to you. I'm waiting."

"Hey, Sabo! What're you doing mumbling over there? Come on and help us out here!"

Grinning and as if snapping from a trance, Sabo turned around to the direction of the voice. "Hey, guys…today is the fifth of May, right?"

His nakama, and fellow Revolutionaries, were gathered in a circle around a large wooden table where a map lay. One of them was pointing at one spot of the map to the other and speaking seriously, but others turned to look at Sabo. The young twenty year old man had always been the optimistic and happy type—and a demon in a fight. But today, there was something different about him. He seemed to be in higher spirits than usual…if possible.

It was ten years ago when they met Sabo. When _some_ of them had met Sabo. Some were already familiar with him.

Dragon had saved the young boy, who was dying on the streets, and taken him aboard the ship. Their doctor had patched him up and sent him to bed. If Dragon had wanted to leave him (the owner of the dojo seemed like a very nice fellow who would take care of a wounded child) he would of said. But he didn't. And thus they set sail.

Was it because he saw potential in the boy that he afterward called out to Sabo to join the Revolutionary? But Sabo had agreed, saying that Dragon's goal was the same as his. They had the same enemy: the World. Sabo wanted to change the world too. And the fact that some of the people on board were the Gray Terminal citizens that Dragon had saved on the day of the burning, and that Sabo was familiar and on good terms with some of them, made it all the more less hesitant to join.

Due to his injuries, Sabo was forced to stay in bed to heal for one whole year. But, imagine the look on the other Revolutionaries' face (especially the baffled doctor) when the blonde haired boy was on his feet in just a few months. Not only that, but he directly asked to start his training. And so he stayed at the mysterious island of Baltigo, doing just that. He made a deal that on the day he turned seventeen years old—the day of his original sailing day—he would officially join the Revolutionary Army.

Days, weeks, months, and years passed. Finally turning that certain age, Sabo grew to become a tall and proud young man. Dragon's trust and respect for him grew stronger. It was the same the other way around, Sabo looked up to Dragon as a hero and inspiration—and maybe, if he dared, a father. And thus, their mysterious bond grew stronger as well. The other members also became quite attached to Sabo, and Sabo to them too, and they all became great comrades.

It only made sense that working for the most wanted man in the world would get you some attention too. A few years after joining the Revolutionary, Sabo's head—dead or alive—was worth more than a few thousand beri. It was his first bounty and he was pleased with it.

It had killed him every time he thought of Ace and Luffy. Surely rumors and news of him being attacked by the Celestial Dragons would have reached their ears. Would they worry? Would they mourn over the loss of their brother who has never been truly lost? Sabo wanted badly to send them a letter or message to reassure them that he was fine, healthy, alive, and on the seas. But by the time that he had woken up from his unconsciousness, the ship had already entered the Grand Line. And—knowing how the Revolutionary Army was moving in secrecy—could do nothing about it.

Sabo closed his eyes.

They had reached Baltigo, the headquarters of the Revolutionary and by then he could only pray for Ace and Luffy—and himself.

And now here he was.

The strong wind blew at his blonde hair, longer than how it had been when he was the ten year old boy with the far too big clothes. It was different now. He had grown so attached to his trademark attire that he had made them bigger to fit his currently tall and modestly well-built frame. He held up a hand to the rim of his hat as a strong wind threatened to blow it off. The blue goggles there had lasted all these years and were still in pretty good shape.

"It _is_ truly the fifth of May…why do you ask?"

Sabo opened his eyes to the direction of the voice. It was Dragon, tall and proud, standing right next to him.

"Dragon-san," he said, greeting his leader respectively.

Dragon gave Sabo a small nod before turning to gaze forwards. Sabo tilted his head and let his eyes drift over the leader of the Revolutionary Army. Was Sabo the only one who realized this? When the wind blew, Monkey D. Dragon would always look to the east. Something that Sabo himself tended to do…East Blue—His family was there…the place where he was born too…He and Dragon had things in common.

The smile on the young Revolutionary's lips grew. "Well…"

It had been three years ago when Sabo had the same feeling that had caused him to look at the sky and seas. They had entered a new year and were celebrating. Then that certain feeling had tugged at him and he gazed at the skies.

It was the first of January. It was Ace's birthday.

How could Sabo ever forget?

"_Noble men…are truly called Nobles when they turn eighteen. That's why I'll leave this country when I'm seventeen."_

He had said the words himself all those years ago. And it was no doubt that his brothers would follow in his footsteps…

And as he stared off into the wide sky above him on that one day, on the day that Ace grew older by a year, Sabo understood.

Ace had turned seventeen, his day of sailing. It was the day he would enter his pirate days and explore the vast wide ocean.

And words had fallen from Sabo's lips._ "I'll be waiting for you to become famous, Ace."_

And today was Luffy's turn—the fifth of May. The crybaby little straw hat boy that he knew was going to become a pirate.

Although many seas separated them, Sabo could feel the newly seventeen year old boy's energy course right through his veins. Luffy was in high spirits, and so was he.

Sabo never failed to get his hands on every newspaper that his eyes landed on. It was part of his everyday routine and habit to know what was going on in the world. Sabo remembered the day when he had picked up the newspaper and saw Ace's picture on a bounty poster. Then other articles came out and he saw the crossed out "S" tattooed on Ace's left arm. It caused a smile to come to Sabo's face and he wondered if he should do the same thing but with an "A" letter.

Now it was Luffy's turn to show the world who he was.

"Good luck," whispered Sabo, "little brother."

"Hm?"

"Oh." Sabo blinked. Dragon was staring at him, same expression on his face as his cloak billowed in the wind. The people around the round table were still waiting for him as well. "Well…" Sabo shoved his hands in his pockets, letting a whistle come through his missing tooth. He had grown back all of the teeth he lost due to the cannon explosion ten years ago, but it was that one certain tooth on the left side of his upper jaw that would not come back. Maybe he had grown his adult tooth at a young age and had it knocked out or whatnot.

"Let's just say," said Sabo, and a laugh suddenly burst out of him, "it's a very special day."

There was silence as Dragon's eyes did not move. Then a knowing smile came to his lips. "I am thinking the same as well."

Sabo continued laughing and the scary thing was— he couldn't stop. He laughed so hard that it hurt and he had to lean against his bo staff and that every person within a fifty meter radius was majorly freaked out by his actions.

"Special occasions do cause people to laugh like so…" Dragon said.

"Oh, I apologize, Dragon-san," Sabo answered, finally regaining control of himself. "I'm just so happy today, I— "

"Dragon-san, sorry for interrupting—!"

"OIII! SABOOO!"

"Get your ass over here!"

"We can't continue the meeting without you!"

"Dragon-san! We apologize for pulling Sabo-san here while you are having a conversation with him but—"

"HEY, I'M EXPLAINING THINGS HERE!" screeched the Revolutionary man who now held the map in his hands.

"Sabo-kun! This is a very important mission that we must discuss before night comes!"

"They are acting quite rowdy while I am here…" Dragon mused, the grin still on his face. "I have a feeling that we're all too close of friends…" And with that, Dragon began walking towards the round table, the others greeting him respectively. "Let us go."

"Right!" Sabo pulled the bo staff into his hand. He twirled it in his fingers, watching it spin. He held up a free hand to his companions and ran towards them. The smile never left his face.

"I'm coming!"

The endless blue sky—

The millions of clouds—

The vast blue sea—

And with a dream—

In the very same condition, Sabo, Ace, and Luffy had started their new lives. They said hello to the unknown future ahead of them without even a trace of fear. And now with renew energy and adrenaline coursing through his veins, Sabo could not think of a single reason why he should be afraid of what was ahead.

"I'll see you guys soon," Sabo said. And with one last glimpse of the sky, he let out one last laugh, "with freedom in our grasp!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>end<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I apologize if the ending is a bit corny. And all the other parts. Not too satisfied with it myself. It'd look so much better in manga form. (Heck yesh.)

So what do you guys think? :D

I don't think Oda would create such an in-depth character with his own past and who had played such a big role in a plot—and just killed him off just like that.

Since we don't know the exact layout of Baltigo, let's just say that Sabo is on a cliff (or maybe a large rock pillar) overlooking the sea, with a building (maybe the castle) behind him with open doors leading to a meeting hall. Or there's a table outside or something. And dear God, I hope Dragon wasn't out of character.

Gerblargh. I really wanted to have Iva-chan in this but he's probably already in Impel Down (doing the okama thang with other okama doing the okama thang). Thanks to SilverRainFalls for pointing that out to me or he would've actually been in this, haha. So Dragon got to make his reappearance instead!

Wow this author's note is too long.

So this is what I think happened to Sabo. Now, does he know that Dragon is Luffy's father? Does Dragon know that Sabo is Luffy's "brother"? What rank is Sabo in the Revolutionary Army and high is it? How much is Sabo's bounty? Who the heck were those people at the round table that they would so calmly (and rudely o_O) call to Sabo and Dragon like that? It's all up to the reader's imagination! This chapter is brief for that reason!

Reviews would be awesome. Especially criticism, since I want to always improve my work!


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